Articles tagged with budget

Peace Walk. Some Santa Monica residents took to the streets last night to call for peace and healing in the wake of a series of shootings in the Westside city. The demonstrators retraced the path taken by John Zawahri, the young gunman who killed five people before being shot to death by police at Santa Monica College.
The Peace Walk was organized by the Pico …

Killer’s goodbye. The man responsible for last Friday’s deadly shooting rampage in Santa Monica carried a note saying he was sorry for his actions. But investigators still aren’t sure what motivated John Zawahri to kill five people before he was shot to death by police.
Zawahri’s four-page, hand-written note was found on his body after he was killed on the Santa Monica College campus. Police …

Somber graduation. Hundreds of students walked across the stage to accept their diplomas at Santa Monica College yesterday evening, but it was anything but a typical graduation ceremony.
Present behind the joy and sense of accomplishment was a strong undercurrent of sorrow for those who lost their lives Friday when a gunman killed three people on campus during a wild shooting spree. The graduation took …

Mourning. College graduation is a joyous event. But today’s ceremony at Santa Monica College will be tinged with sadness as the commencement doubles as a memorial to victims of last Friday’s shooting rampage.
A vigil was held on the campus last night. Shortly before 6 pm, people began assembling outside the college library. That’s where the shooter, John Zawahri, ended his killing spree. A makeshift …

A UCLA economic forecast out today predicts California will see some income growth over the next two years, despite a national recovery the authors of the report call “bad.”
The new UCLA Anderson Forecast says the strength of California’s economy lies in technology and knowledge-based industries, although construction has also rebounded in coastal markets.
But the report casts doubt on whether the economy – statewide or nationally …

Water works. A controversial plan to restore habitat and overhaul California’s water system will cost a half a billion dollars more than originally estimated. The price tag of Governor’s Brown Bay Delta Conservation Plan is now almost $25 billion.
Brown’s plan calls for two enormous concrete tunnels that would carry water 35 miles from the San Joaquin River Delta to pumps near the town of …

Obamacare. California has taken a big step toward compliance with Obamacare. The state’s new health insurance exchange has announced the plans – and the prices – that will be offered to those seeking individual insurance policies under the federal healthcare law.
As many as five million uninsured Californians are expected to seek coverage when Obamacare takes effect next year. The exchange will begin enrolling customers …

Governor’s budget. Gov. Jerry Brown’s latest budget proposal includes more money for schools, and less money for just about everything else. Even with state revenues surging, Brown’s revised budget trims $1.3 billion from the plan he presented in January.
Brown says there’s no guarantee the surge in tax revenue will last. And he says California’s finances remain unstable because of the federal sequester budget cuts …

Dealing with defiance. The L.A. Board of Education is due to vote tomorrow on a landmark resolution that would ban suspensions for what’s called “willful defiance.” The move comes amid a growing belief in some quarters that suspending students for disruptive behavior is counterproductive.
“Willful defiance” can involve anything from cursing at a teacher to incessant talking or failing to wear a school uniform. The …

Patient dumping. L.A. is investigating allegations that Nevada’s main psychiatric hospital has been busing indigent patients to California cities. L.A. County mental health officials say no patients from Nevada have been identified so far. But they plan to take a closer look. The Sacramento Bee has reported that more than 200 patients released from the Nevada facility were given one-way bus tickets to L.A. …

Vigilance. Like cities from Washington, D.C., to London, Los Angeles is on high alert in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings. Both the LAPD and the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department have opened emergency operation centers. From LAX and the ports to Dodger Stadium and Union Station, Southlanders can expect a heavy police presence today. Law enforcement officials say there’s no indication that Los …

Perry’s pick. Jan Perry is expected to announce today that she’s endorsing Eric Garcetti for mayor. The two have been colleagues on the city council for a dozen years. Perry finished fourth in the March 5th mayoral primary election, drawing about 16 percent of the vote. She was the overwhelming favorite in the city’s predominantly African-American neighborhoods. L.A. Times
Budget bunch. Former U.S. Commerce Secretary …

Jails boss. The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department has a new jails chief. Assistant Sheriff for Custody Terri McDonald will run the largest jail system in the country. McDonald’s appointment follows the departure of controversial Undersheriff Paul Tanaka. Meanwhile, Sheriff Lee Baca says Los Angeles needs a more modern jail facility for the safety of inmates and jailers alike. Baca will ask the L.A. Board …

Prop. A fallout. The president of the L.A. City Council says the defeat of Proposition A in this week’s election means more budget pain for city departments. The proposed half-cent sales tax increase was rejected by a margin of 55 to 45 percent. It would have raised more than $200 million annually to bolster city coffers. Council President Herb Wesson warns that “things are …

In the weeks leading up to the March 5th primary, Which Way, LA? is talking to each of the five leading candidates for Mayor. Find more here: kcrw.com/raceformayor. 
The office for mayor is itself is nonpartisan, but Kevin James still stands out as the only Republican in the Big Five. He’s a former federal prosecutor, talk show host, and leader of AIDs Project LA. KCRW’s Saul …

Governor Jerry Brown delivered his State of the State address today. In a wide-ranging speech, Brown said California has “confounded our critics.” Brown quoted the bible, Oliver Wendell Holmes and Franklin Roosevelt, and laid out a blueprint for his next two years in office.
Raphe Sonenshein is executive director of the Pat Brown Institute at Cal State-Los Angeles, and he spoke with KCRW’s Warren Olney …

Church file fallout. The L.A. District Attorney is vowing to review all sex abuse files released by the Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocese for possible criminal conduct by church leaders. Newly released documents show Cardinal Roger Mahony and others worked to shield abusive priests from prosecution. Abuse survivors say Mahony and his former chief aide for sex abuse cases, Monsignor Thomas Curry, should be held …

School Shooting. Taft Union High School in Kern County is closed this morning, one day after a 16-year-old opened fire with a shotgun in a classroom and critically injured a peer. Authorities he’ll be charged with attempted murder. The teen allegedly targeted two boys who he claimed bullied him. One of those boys – a football player – is the injured student. He’s expected …

 
Update: School shooting in Kern County.
This morning an armed 16-year-old student walked into Taft High School in Kern County and shot one student. He reportedly fired at another and then missed. A teacher and another staff member managed to to talk him into surrendering. The injured student was flown to a Bakersfield hospital and is in critical condition. Following the shooting Sen. Dianne Feinstein, released …

Sex Scheme. Detectives from the LA Police Department are investigating allegations that two officers lured women into unmarked cars and forced them to have sex in a scheme that went on for five years. According to a search warrant obtained by the detectives, Officers Luis Valenzuela and James Nichols would threaten women with jail time in order to convince them to get into their cars. They …